OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the cytotoxic effects of betel quid and areca nut extracts on the fibroblast (L929), mouth-ordinary-epithelium 1 (MOE1) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (HSC-2) cell lines.
METHODS: L929, MOE1 and HSC-2 cells were treated with 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 g/ml of betel quid and areca nut extracts for 24, 48 and 72 h. MTT assay was performed to assess the cell viability.
RESULTS: Both extracts, regardless of concentration, significantly reduced the cell viability of L929 compared with the control (P<0.05). Cell viability of MOE1 was significantly enhanced by all betel quid concentrations compared with the control (P<0.05). By contrast, 0.4 g/ml of areca nut extract significantly reduced the cell viability of MOE1 at 48 and 72 h of incubation. Cell viability of HSC-2 was significantly lowered by all areca nut extracts, but 0.4 g/ml of betel quid significantly increased the cell viability of HSC-2 (P<0.05).
CONCLUSION: Areca nut extract is cytotoxic to L929 and HSC-2, whereas the lower concentrations of areca nut extract significantly increased the cell viability of MOE1 compared to the higher concentration and control group. Although betel quid extract is cytotoxic to L929, the same effect is not observed in MOE1 and HSC-2 cell lines. Further investigations are needed to clarify the mechanism of action.
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METHODS: Three segments of the whole UC, each 3 cm in length, were identified anatomically as the maternal, middle and fetal segments. The hWJMSCs from the different segments were analyzed via trypan blue exclusion assay to determine the growth kinetics and cell viability, flow cytometry for immunophenotyping and immunofluorescence and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for expression of stromal cell transcriptional factors. Furthermore, the trilineage differentiation potential (osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic) of these cells was also assessed.
RESULTS: hWJMSCs isolated from the maternal and fetal segments displayed greater viability and possessed a significantly higher proliferation rate compared with cells from the middle segment. Immunophenotyping revealed that hWJMSCs derived from all three segments expressed the MSC markers CD105, CD73, CD90, CD44, CD13 and CD29, as well as HLA-ABC and HLA-DR, but were negative for hematopoietic markers CD14, CD34 and CD45. Analysis of the embryonic markers showed that all three segments expressed Nanog and Oct 3/4, but only the maternal and fetal segments expressed SSEA 4 and TRA-160. Cells from all three segments were able to differentiate into chondrogenic, osteogenic and adipogenic lineages with the middle segments showing much lower differentiation potential compared with the other two segments.
CONCLUSIONS: hWJMSCs derived from the maternal and fetal segments of the UC are a good source of MSCs compared with cells from the middle segment because of their higher proliferation rate and viability. Fetal and maternal segments are the preferred cell source for bone regeneration.
Methods: Triptolide's inhibition of cell viability was detected by sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. Cell cycle was measured by flow cytometry and cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry and western blot. Expression of β-catenin was analyzed by western blot and immunofluorescence (IF). The anti-tumor effects of triptolide were determined using a subcutaneous in-vivo model. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay, respectively. The expression level of p-p70S6K and p-GSK-3α/β was evaluated by western blot and IHC.
Results: Triptolide inhibited cell proliferation, induced S-phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in taxol-resistant A549 (A549/TaxR) cells. Moreover, intraperitoneal injection of triptolide resulted in a significant delay of tumor growth without obvious systemic toxicity in mice. Additionally, triptolide reversed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through repression of the p70S6K/GSK3/β-catenin signaling pathway.
Conclusions: Our study provides evidence that triptolide can reverse EMT in taxol-resistant lung adenocarcinoma cells and impairs tumor growth by inhibiting the p70S6K/GSK3/β-catenin pathway, indicating that triptolide has potential to be used as a new therapeutic agent for taxol-resistant lung adenocarcinoma.